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Horrible name, but looking good: Windows 10

Microsoft just announced Windows 10. It’s a horrible name, and Microsoft is setting itself up to be made fun of just like they did with Surface’s “no compromises” tagline.

Here’s a joke already making the rounds: It’s Windows 10 because 7 8 9. Argh. Every time Windows 10 fails, and it will inevitably fail for something sometime, Windows 9 will be the easy barb.

Why not just go with something like Windows X? It even implies the number 10.

Name aside, Windows 10 looks promising. I’ve been sketching ideas on OneNote with my Surface Pro 3, and redesigning Windows 8 is a favorite subject. High up on my wish list is a touch mode and desktop mode; triggered when you detach or attach a keyboard to a 2-in-1 device. That’s in Windows 10 and which Microsoft calls Continuum. It looks good.

Continuum, in combination with modern apps running in a windowed interface on desktop, means it’ll finally feel like one integrated OS. The only difference is that in touch mode you want everything in full screen.

Multi-tasking looks greatly improved too. One new feature I love is when snapping a program to one side, Windows 10 will suggest apps to snap to the other. This makes a ton of sense because you never just want to snap one app — it’s always at least two. I use snap a lot, so even though this only saves one extra step it’s much appreciated.

Microsoft has also introduced their versions of Expose and Virtual Desktops from Mac, called Task View and Multiple Desktops respectively. Copying Apple here is probably the right thing to do.

The other interesting tidbit is that Windows 10 will be Windows Phone’s next OS as well. Wow! Microsoft is taking the idea of one common platform very seriously.

Microsoft promises that there is much more in store, especially on the consumer side, that they will reveal at a later date.

And now the bad news: Windows 10 won’t launch until the second half of 2015.